If you are a user of Linux or MacOS and believe you are totally immune to viruses and malwares, you need to think again. When both Linux and Mac systems are in fact more secure than their Windows counterparts, they are not totally invulnerable. Recently, hackers have released a new malware targeting Linux and Mac systems and the computers in its path are in big trouble. The malware, code-named Wirenet.1, is used for stealing passwords stored in popular web browsers like Google Chrome, Chromium, Firefox and Opera. Moreover, it is also able to obtain passwords from other applications including SeaMonkey, Pidgin and Thunderbird. And even if you are not using any of the above mentioned applications, your privacy and security are still in danger since the malware comes with a keylogger.

According to neowin.net, the outbreak of this malicious malware was just recently detected. In other words, there are still many pieces of the problems missing. How the malware has been spread is still currently unknown but according to Dr.Web, a Russian anti-virus company, the malware is able to install itself into the victim’s computer’s home directory under the name WIFIADAPT. Dr.Web also announced that their anti-virus program can protect you from the malware, but you will have to pay to use this program. However, if you think you are infected and want a free solution, you can just simply disable commnication with the control server used by the malware’s creator. In this case, blocking communication with IP address 212.7.208.65 will do the trick.

The appearance of Wirenet.1 also shows a growing trend of hackers that want to target operating systems with a smaller market share which were once thought to be very secure. In other words, the target of the hackers is anything other than Windows systems. Historically, the most popular Trojan to affect non-Windows systems was Flashback, a modified version of the BackDoor.Flashback.30 variant first discovered by Dr. Web in April 2012. Flashback is known for being to infect more than 600000 Mac computers.